Arsenal’s Bernd Leno delighted with Premier League debut

Bernd Leno says he is thrilled to have finally made his Premier League debut against Watford on Saturday afternoon.

The German showstopper was named in goal for the first time in the top flight since moving the The Emirates this summer, coming in late for the injured Petr Cech.

And the £20 million pound man didn’t disappoint, pulling off a number of fine saves to deny Watford and help Arsenal to a 2-0 victory – their seventh on the bounce in all competitions.

“It was a difficult start when you don’t think you’re going to play and then Petr is injured – I hope he will get well soon,” said Leno on the club’s official website.

“It was a good game for me with a difficult start, but I think that I made some good saves and we kept a clean sheet, so I’m happy with my first game in the Premier League.”

Leno joined Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, and was widely expected to walk in as the club’s new number one keeper, however the fine form of Petr Cech had kept the 26-year-old out of the starting XI up in the Premier League until this weekend.

The German however has made appearances in the Carabao Cup and Europa League, both of which he felt helped him prepare for Saturday.

“I think for me everything is new, the club, the country and the football a little bit,” he said, “so the two games in the Carabao Cup and the Europa League were very good for me to improve and get the confidence because goalkeepers are in a special position.

“You need a feeling with your defence and your players, so it takes some games. Those two games were very important for me.”